Nature on the IOM and the California Stem Cell Agency

The journal Nature today said on its web site that the California stem cell agency plans to make a “few changes” in response to a critical report from the Institute of Medicine(IOM).

A short piece by Monya Baker on the agency's response yesterday summarized some of the IOM recommendations and the CIRM response. Baker wrote,

She said,

"Other IOM recommendations were only indirectly addressed by (CIRM Chairman J.T.) Thomas’ plan. The IOM report had stated that the board should restrict itself to an 'oversight' role rather than an 'operational' role. Thomas’s recommendations instead described ways to avoid overlapping duties. His own role as chair is to handle 'external affairs' whereas CIRM’s president will be to handle scientific and internal affairs."

Baker also carried the favorable comments from John M. Simpson of Consumer Watchdog.